


Trouble Sleeping

by dreamerfound



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Clint Barton Feels, F/M, Friendship, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 04:04:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12073158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamerfound/pseuds/dreamerfound
Summary: Clint can't sleep. Kate offers temptation. Clint still can't sleep.





	Trouble Sleeping

**Author's Note:**

> written for trope bingo round #9  
> prompt: unrequited love/pining

Clint loved Kate. He really did. He wasn’t ever going to do anything about it though. He couldn’t. He was her mentor, her partner, and he was definitely too old for her. Beyond all that was the fact that he didn’t deserve her. Kate Bishop was too good to end up with a fuck-up like him. Clint Barton sucked at relationships. Any of his ex’s would be happy to list his many faults, and often did so, at length.

So, while Clint loved Kate, he knew couldn’t have her. He had made his peace with that. More or less. There was also the fact that Kate didn’t see him in that way. She knew that he was a fuck-up. She was all too aware of their age difference. She just wasn’t interested in him that way, and who could blame her? Clint didn’t. 

He enjoyed being her partner - his superhero other half. Why would he want to do anything to put an end to that? He’d messed up enough of his life, he didn’t need to wreck what he had here with Kate. He was smarter than that. He hoped.

Kate was currently sleeping in his bed. She had been crashing with him for a couple of weeks. Money was tight ever since she stopped taking money from her rich asshole of a father. Clint had offered her the bed and he’d been sleeping on his ratty sofa ever since. It was worth it, having her there. Close, but not too close. He knew he shouldn’t be standing in the doorway watching her sleep. He knew he was being a creepy stalker, but she looked so beautiful curled up in his bed. In another life, he’d climb right in there next to her. He’d slide his arms around her, pull her in close, kiss her neck and... he took a step inside the room, then thought better of it. He was being stupid. Thinking about that stuff pulled him in dangerous directions. 

He turned around and headed to the kitchen. He need a beer. He found half a six pack in the fridge and grabbed a bottle. He spent almost five minutes looking for the bottle opener before he gave up and just used the edge of the counter. 

In the living room he sat down on the couch. He knew he should try and get some sleep, but he also knew it would be a long time coming and he wasn’t in the mood for the struggle. Clint had finished half his beer when he heard footsteps behind him. Small and barefoot. Kate. When had she woken up? She plopped herself down next to him and took his beer. She put her feet up on his lap and took a swig of the beer.  
“Trouble sleeping?” He asked.  
“Hmm...someone keeps standing in the doorway - watching me sleep” Kate raised her eyebrows and glared at him.  
“I can explain?” Clint had no idea how he could explain his behavior, without confessing his feelings. He felt like a shit.  
“Go for it” Kate said. She was dressed in shorts and a tank top; what she usually wore to bed. 

“I was just making sure you were okay” he said, knowing exactly how lame it sounded. He hoped that maybe she’d buy it anyway.  
“Really?” Kate didn’t sound like she was buying it at all.  
“Yes, really - why would I lie?” Clint asked. He took his beer back from her and downed the rest.  
“That’s a very good question Hawkeye.” Kate shook her head.  
“Go on - go to bed Hawkeye. I need to sleep and you’re currently sitting on my bed.” Clint put the empty bottle down on the coffee table. Kate tilted her head to the side and didn’t get up.  
“You know Barton, we’re both adults - we could share the bed.”  
Clint stared at her for a moment before speaking. It had taken a minute for the words to register. “I - I don’t think that’s such a great idea” he said.  
“Why not?” Kate asked. Clint wondered if she really didn’t see the problem with the two of them sharing a bed, or if she was just trying to torture him. He wasn’t sure how to respond to the question either way, so he just shook his head.  
Kate stood up. “Come on - lets go to bed. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Clint was torn. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to follow Kate into the bedroom. He wanted to get into the bed next to her and let whatever happened, happen. Maybe it would lead to sex, maybe it would just lead to sleep. Both sounded pretty good to him right then. Instead he watched her walk away, toward the bedroom. “Good night Kate” he called out.  
She turned and gave him a sad smile. “Sleep well dummy”. Then she was in the bedroom and he couldn’t see her anymore. He heard the door close, and he sighed. “You’re such an idiot Barton” he muttered to himself while he tried to get comfortable on the couch. He knew he had done the right thing. Unfortunately that knowledge didn’t help him to fall asleep.


End file.
